Bethesda news, restaurants, nightlife, events and openings, real estate, crime reports and more - the way only a lifelong Bethesda resident like Robert Dyer can bring it to you. Everything you want and need to know about Bethesda, plus special investigative reports you won't find anywhere else. The must-read blog for breaking Bethesda news, when you want to be the first to know.

Nest Cafe is closed at 4921 Bethesda Avenue. A sign on the door says the restaurant is "closed for renovations," but gives no target date for reopening. The restaurant's website says Nest will reopen "with a new look in 2016."

Their Twitter account is still going, but clicking on their Facebook page in Google results takes you to a "Sorry, this content isn't available to you right now" message.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Some shoring has been completed at the future site of the Stonehall Bethesda ultra-luxury condos, at the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Battery Lane. The site has been graded, but minimal excavation has been done so far. You'll notice a crane has been installed since my last update. The 46 units were expected to start being sold this fall, and to be delivered before the end of 2016.

Stonehall will offer 2-bedroom condos from the $800,000s, 3-bedrooms from $1.7 million, and penthouses starting at $2.3 million.

Amenities will include the ubiquitous rooftop deck, upscale restaurant on-site, and a Harris Teeter grocery store directly across Woodmont Avenue. Stonehall is one of several new luxury buildings offering housing within a very short walking distance of NIH and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

As an "ultra-luxury" condo, it is in particular competition with The Lauren, Hampden Row, and The Darcy, in terms of projects that are built or underway (JBG's 7770 Norfolk is marketing its condos at a lower pricing tier). Duball, LLC is the developer of Stonehall.

A demolition of the lobby in the office building at 7920 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda apparently is the start of a renovation there. Owned by powerhouse DC development firm Douglas Development, the office building is fully-leased except for one 2223 SF street level retail space.

Tenants include M&T Bank, CrossFit Bethesda, Alley Cat Allies and Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery. The building appears to still be open, as I saw someone exit the lobby.

The new Domino's Pizza location at 4817 St. Elmo Avenue has requested a construction permit from Montgomery County for the interior buildout of the store. Construction of the 1403 SF space is expected to cost $150,000. It was most recently home to GreenWICH.

Here's an update on the renovations of the office building at 7101 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The revamp is scheduled to be finished by Spring 2016. You can see the tremendous progress that's been made since my last report in March.

A revised draft of a separated bike lane network plan for the Pike District will be presented to the Montgomery County Planning Board on December 3. These are bike lanes physically separated from automobile lanes to promote safety, and to make the environment more comfortable for novice cyclists. An example of this already exists within the Pike District, along Woodglen Drive.

Proposed network ofseparated bike lanes(dotted orange lines)

The updated plan includes a prioritization of the individual routes, as requested by the County Council for funding purposes.

Nicholson Lane (from Old Georgetown Road to the CSX tracks) and Old Georgetown Road (from Rockville Pike to Nebel Street) sit atop the Tier 1 routes, as they are required before Stage 2 of the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan can be opened by developers. Two Marinelli Road segments are also in the top priority field, to provide a connection for cyclists to the White Flint Metro station.

Tier 2 includes segments along Nebel Street, Edson Lane, and Woodglen Drive Extended. These are considered as important as those in Tier 1, but aren't mandated prior to Stage 2 construction.

Routes along Rockville Pike (Edson Lane to Montrose Parkway) and Security Lane (Woodglen Drive to Rockville Pike) are in Tier 3, as they relate to the future construction of a Bus Rapid Transit route along MD 355.

Because some of the new roads in the Pike District have already been designed and are nearing the construction phase, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation has asked planners to change the language in the previous draft to reflect that bike lanes will have to be added to those streets at a later date. In a memo to planners, acting MCDOT Director Al Roshdieh writes that having to add those bike facilities now would cause "significant delays and greatly increased costs," as well as requiring changes in State Highway Administration policy.

Celebrity chef Mike Isabella's newest venture, Kapnos Kouzina at the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Hampden Lane, has applied for its liquor license.

Originally expected to open this fall, build-out was delayed and just recently began. Kapnos' hearing will be December 17.

A high-profile name like Isabella's is just what is necessary to draw diners around the corner to this out-of-the-way spot at Bethesda Row. It should also be popular with the elite residents of The Lauren, now under construction across from the restaurant.

RPMotion Bethesda Sports Recovery Center is coming to the storefront at 4938 St. Elmo Avenue, next to Bethesda Boxing & Kickboxing Academy. It appears to be a name change for the business I had already reported was going into this space over the summer. Some interior construction work has been going on in the 4938 space recently, including busting a hole through the wall, to make a door connecting it with the kickboxing studio.